youtube_mermaid_showsfandomcom-20200214-history
User blog:Thantosiet/Mermaids: A Review
'Mermaids '''is the first mermaid show to be added to the wiki by someone other than me, so I decided to go ahead and watch the whole series, there being only eight episodes--seven discounting the deleted one. The Plot Liz, having just moved to a new town, takes her younger sister to a neighbor's garage sale, where she buys a pendant the seller--Kenna--found in the ocean. Not long afterwards, Liz pops a tail in the middle of washing the dishes. She quickly connects it to touching the stone, and realizing Kenna had to have picked it up herself, runs off to find her. Kenna isn't particularly helpful. Realizing that she can find out the truth by splashing Kenna (apparently forgetting that when they'd talked, Kenna had been spraying down a pair of crocs, liberally sprinkling her legs as well), Liz goes to do so, and Kenna also pops a tail. Kenna manages to boil herself dry, freaking Liz out--though later she considers the day she transformed "the best day ever." Soon, both girls discover they have powers, and Liz practices them. She loses the diary she's been making entries in from the beginning, but finds it in her room later. One day, Kenna's old best friend Makayla visits Liz, and starts putting the pieces together, determined to uncover their secret. Liz asks Kenna about revealing themselves, but Kenna's against it. Eventually, this argument leads to the two fighting with their freezing powers. The resolution of this fight is left up to the imagination: episode 6 was deleted. (Kenna has not appeared since.) Visiting Liz's house, Makayla picks up the necklace, and walks in on Liz in mermaid form. Liz finally explains, and demonstrates some of her powers. Later, she returns to her room and realizes that the stone is gone. In her panic, she discovers a letter from Makayla--she's thrown the rock back into the ocean. However, she's about to go on vacation to the ocean, so unconcerned, she heads out for a swim. Just as she finds the rock, Liz is stopped by a Siren who claims the stone is "hers." Ignoring the warning, Liz retrieves the stone, and her tail changes. The Characters Liz and Kenna have a pretty good balance of "cute little kid" and "old enough to act," though things definitely slant towards the former. They don't have real distinct personalities, but they look and sound fairly different, so it's not hard to tell them apart. Kenna doesn't get as much screen time, so she's harder to pin down, but she's very perky and a little ditzy. Liz is more introspective, but she can be inexplicably stupid: she's constantly saying the obvious, forgetting she has a tail or powers, picking up objects she's just superheated, etc. Makayla's pretty good, hostile enough to create some plot, not enough to be cartoonish. The dialogue is full of the usual redundancies, particularly since Liz narrates her thoughts and diary entries--and the reverb effect makes it hard to understand. Technicals Liz's original tail isn't the worst I've seen, for a MacGyver Tail it's half-decent, but I'm pretty sure it's just a pair of purple pants sewn together. Lanaya.png|It's not visible in this shot, but there are bows on the ruffle-fluke. Blog pic.png|Count how many things are wrong with this shot. I swear I haven't altered it. The first episode had some sound issues (loud music followed by very quiet dialogue), but it's improved somewhat, and the camera quality's always been pretty good. When it's not in narrow-screen format, anyway. On the other hand, the shots tend to be too wide, off-balance or just at weird angles. The music's a recurring issue, especially in later episodes, where it becomes more frequent--but still jump-worthy. It seems to be smoothing out as they go, at least. Best Moment "Season Finale" (Season 1, Episode 8) This episode opens with an actual resolution to the strong cliffhanger of the previous episode: Liz searching everywhere for the missing magical stone. She eventually ends up going with her relatives to a nearby beach, and starts looking for the stone. Just as she spots it, she's stopped by a Siren, who insists the stone is hers. Upgrade.png|Also, Liz upgrades her tail. Liz is finally up against a real obstacle, one with some menace. Even the poor (and I mean ''poor) sound quality doesn't ruin the tension. Worst Moment "Season Finale" (Season 1, Episode 8) Yes, both from the season finale. Having heard the Siren's warning, Liz counters that she needs the stone, not explaining why, and the Siren . . . leaves. Just like that. She even adds "You haven't heard the last of me," like a supervillain whose evil lair is collapsing around him. Except she's exactly as powerful as she was before Liz showed up. She has no reason to back off. This highlights a recurring problem with the show: copouts. Unresolved problems are just forgotten, characters act randomly, and interesting scenes are skipped and just described afterwards. All we're left with is ten minutes of a character practicing her new powers, or better yet, wandering around looking for a diary. It's disappointing when they waste their potential this way. Crazy Fan Theories Kenna completely disappears after the ice battle with Liz, which ended on a cliffhanger: both girls collapse in clouds of ice magic. In earlier episodes, Liz demonstrated that her control over her powers is limited: she tends to overdo things. I'm not going to say Kenna's dead, but I don't think she's okay. This might also explain why Makayla decided to get rid of the magic rock: she thinks she's protecting her friend and anyone else who might get hurt by a powerful mermaid. However, I do have another explanation for Makayla's behavior. The Siren, established as a villain and the original owner of the stone in the season finale, declares that she's a shapeshifter. (Incidentally, whenever Liz's actress wears her hair twisted to the side, that means she's the Siren.) Therefore, they're one and the same person--or else the Siren was impersonating Makayla. It would explain why she suddenly decided to steal the stone and throw it back into the ocean. Or, who knows, maybe she was Makayla the whole time. Kenna finding the stone might not have been an accident. So, How's It Hold Up? They've got some good ideas, and the girls are fun to watch. I think they could do well with this series. On the other hand, the pacing drags, and the series is riddled with anticlimaxes and weak storytelling. These might have something to do with the low viewership, but then again it is a fairly new show. Hopefully, as they gain experience, they'll pick up subscribers. Regardless of problems, it's clear they're trying, and given the circumstances, that's all one can ask. But seriously, the sound gave me a headache. And After the Review Went Up . . . So did my respect for this show. Not only did the creator find this review, but she responded graciously, thanking me for it and wanting to do better. And she's been doing just that: Season 2 is only three episodes in, but it's already developing a genuine mystery--she even called out the plot holes in the finale to develop some tension! Negative criticism, even if it's constructive, is always like crossing a field of land mines. It's always a relief when nobody blows up, and downright awesome if the creator finds something useful in what I said. I'm really looking forward to the rest of Season 2, and whatever comes after. Category:Blog posts Category:Reviews